Labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income
Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income: Labour dependency ratio was 1.35 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income, 1991–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income is 1.35, measured in 2027. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income peaked at 1.56 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 1.35, in 2027.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income 36th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.56 | — |
| 1992 | 1.55 | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 1.54 | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 1.52 | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 1.51 | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 1.51 | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 1.5 | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 1.49 | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 1.49 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 1.49 | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 1.48 | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 1.48 | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 1.48 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 1.47 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 1.47 | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 1.47 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 1.47 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 1.48 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 1.49 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 1.5 | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 1.5 | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 1.5 | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 1.49 | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 1.5 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 1.5 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 1.5 | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 1.51 | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 1.51 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 1.51 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 1.55 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 1.51 | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 1.45 | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 1.41 | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 1.39 | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 1.38 | -1.0% |
| 2026 | 1.36 | -0.9% |
| 2027 | 1.35 | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.52 | 1.49 | 1.56 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.48 | 1.47 | 1.49 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5 | 1.49 | 1.51 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.42 | 1.35 | 1.55 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income
- 33 Pakistan 2.12 compare
- 34 Sierra Leone 2.08 compare
- 35 Congo 2.01 compare
- 36 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2 compare
- 37 Papua New Guinea 1.91 compare
- 38 Guyana 1.91 compare
- 39 Vanuatu 1.9 compare
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 284,510 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 73.41 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 103,063 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 70.16 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 13,447 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 4,908 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.16 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.87 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment (ILO modelled estimates) 257,043 (2025)
- Employment 257,043 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income?
- Labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income was 1.35 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour dependency ratio recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 1.56 in 1991.
- What is the lowest labour dependency ratio recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.35 in 2027.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income rank for labour dependency ratio?
- Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income ranks 36th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is labour dependency ratio rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. This indicator provides the ratio of dependents (persons aged 0 to 14 + persons aged 15 and above that are either outside the labour force or unemployed) to total employment. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.